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Controversial designer Chris Bangle leaves BMW

BMW's Chris Bangle (right) is leaving the auto industry. He will be succeeded by Adrian van Hooydonk (left).

One of the most controversial designers in recent memory, Chris Bangle, is leaving BMW this month to pursue interests outside of the car business.

The move is voluntary, BMW says, and Bangle will be replaced by his former protégé, Adrian van Hooydonk. Bangle was the first American to head design for the German luxury-car maker and had been in charge since 1992.

Perhaps it's unfair, but his lengthy tenure can be boiled down neatly into two words: "Bangle Butt," the slightly off-color nickname that became synonymous for cars with pronounced rear ends. It was first given to the wedge that appeared on trunk of the 2002 7-series sedan, and has since spread throughout the company's lineup.

At the time, the feature sparked criticism from enthusiasts and was widely panned. But Bangle defended it as a modern update sorely needed for a company with a traditional take on sheetmetal. Despite the controversy, BMW has publicly stood behind Bangle, and his fingerprints have been on nearly every product the company has launched in the last two decades, many of which went on to fare well in the market.

BMW released a lengthy, yet vague statement Tuesday announcing Bangle's pending departure to pursue interests outside of the industry. Spokesman Tom Plucinsky insisted the move is voluntary. He's said he was not aware of a no-compete clause that would prevent Bangle from working for another car company.

What's next

So where does that leave the 52-year-old Bangle, who took the helm at BMW just before his 37th birthday? For now, perhaps a semiretirement of sorts involving wine-making at a house he is renovating in Tuscany, Italy, said Jim Hall, an analyst with 2953 Analytics in Birmingham, Mich., and a close friend of the designer.

"He was getting ready for retirement anyway. . . . I think he thought it was time to go," Hall said.

Bangle has been fond of Italy since working at Fiat Centro Stile from 1985 to 1992, briefly holding the title of director for about less than a year before bolting for BMW. But Hall left open the possibility that Bangle could resurface, though the depressed car industry is hardly a market for free-agent executives.

J Mays, Ford's group vice president of design and a noted critic of Bangle over the years, said his BMW contemporary was a significant influence on modern design--and like it or hate it--deserves credit for that.

"He largely changed the aesthetic direction of the German automobile industry," Mays said.

The Ford honcho also took a few years off after leaving Audi in 1994, and worked as a consultant for a few years before hooking up with the Blue Oval in 1997.

Bangle, an Ohio native, attended the University of Wisconsin before getting bachelor's and master's degrees from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. He also worked for at Opel from 1981 to 1985.

Beyond the 7-series, Bangle and his teams have designed the current 3- and 5-series ranges, as well as the Z3, the Z4, the X5 and the X6 and other vehicles. He also was in charge of Mini and Rolls-Royce design, and helped grow BMW Designworks in the United States to a global consulting and design force.

In addition to the "Bangle Butt," which has gone on to be used as a universal description for cars of all makes with larger rear ends, Bangle's term, "flame surfacing," has caught on somewhat as a description for BMW's curved lines on the sides of roadsters.

"Bangle has had a lasting impact on the identity of BMW Group's brands," Klaus Draeger, BMW AG's board member for development, said in a statement. "His contribution to the company's success has been decisive, and together with his teams, he has mapped out a clear and aesthetic route into the future."

It appears unlikely there will be dramatic changes in BMW design--at least immediately. Bangle's successor, van Hooydonk, 44, takes over after a career spent mostly with the luxury-car company, with stints in Munich, Germany, and the United States.

Van Hooydonk played a key role in drawing the controversial 7-series though Bangle was usually the lightening rod for criticism. Van Hooydonk also is credited with the Z9 and CS concepts, as well as the upcoming Progressive Activity sedan, which BMW is billing as another mold-breaker.

In 2004, BMW made van Hooydonk director of design for BMW cars, a move that shifted Bangle to a more executive role. In a statement, Bangle voiced confidence in his successor, calling him "truly a top professional in our business. . . . I am sure that the many strong design strategies he has helped us create for the BMW Group will continue to develop and evolve."